Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly

When Anthony Gallagher started Petstop 30 years ago, dogs in Ireland were kept outside and got scraps. Now, the dog – or the cat or the fish – is absolutely a member of the family.” The €500m+ pet market is three times the size of the baby market in Ireland, and globally, the pet sector is expected to reach €400bn by 2030 – that's bigger than recorded music or gaming. His career has spanned the graduate trainee programme in Penney's, to owning a deli store, to being a retail consultant in London. While there he was asked to do a study on the Irish pet food market, which led to him taking an Irish distribution contract for a vet-focused brand. And then he convinced fellow Sligoman Seán Melly and corporate high-fliers Bernard Sommers and Liam Booth to back him and opened five large format stores. Petstop was born. An ill-fated entry into online pet stores nearly sank the business but a lucky exit gave them the ability to regroup, carry on, and four years later come out the other side. Large format pet stores are now the focal point for the industry and Petstop is ideally placed to continue its growth. This is the 51st episode with guest Anthony Gallagher, CEO and Founder of Petstop in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Tomás O'Leary is a visionary leader driving transformation in the software industry. As the Founder and CEO of Origina, he has revolutionized independent software maintenance, providing enterprise customers with a reliable alternative to vendor support. Origina is a software maintenance vendor and are the independent software maintenance and support provider that pairs their clients with dedicated, global IBM, HCL, and VMware product experts who keep a perpetual eye on the performance, longevity and compliance of the enterprise software estate. They support large global organizations with complex IBM® environments that need to modernize and grow, and take care of interoperability, licensing and security, so customers can dedicate your time and budget to moving forward. Tomás leads with bold vision, uniting innovation, advocacy, and sustainability to create meaningful change in the enterprise software market. Since founding the company in 2012, he has positioned Origina as a global leader, empowering organizations to break free from vendor lock-in and unlock greater value from their software investments. This is the 50th episode with guest Tomás O'Leary, CEO & Founder at Origina, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Jac Dunne is CEO of Dimply and brings over 30 years of financial services and fintech expertise, backed by an MBA from Dublin Business School. Throughout her career, Jac has held senior roles at prestigious institutions, including HSBC, Bank of New York (BNY), Bank of America (BOA), and Confluence Technologies, where she held global positions and developed and executed transformative strategies. Her international perspective and diverse sector experience enable her to deliver innovative solutions and foster meaningful growth. Dimply is an innovative, no-code, new generation customer experience platform designed specifically for financial services. It allows organisations to leverage any data source available to deliver hyper-personalised digital experiences, regardless of complexity, at scale. Jac brings a unique approach to business growth and relationship building. Her management philosophy, centring on empowerment and a balanced focus on client and team needs, sets her apart in the industry. Her commitment to charity work is not just a pastime, but a deeply ingrained part of her life. Her belief in equal opportunities for all drives her to create a more equitable society, and this passion for social progress resonates in all aspects of her life and work. This is the 49th episode with guest Jac Dunne, CEO of Dimply, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Loretta Dignam has pioneered menopause in Ireland. As founder and CEO, she opened the doors to The Menopause Hub, Ireland's first and only dedicated peri/menopause clinic in January 2019. This was one of only two clinics in the world dedicated to menopause.  The Menopause Hub is a centre of excellence, and now has three clinics in Ireland, and Ireland's first Menopause App, which is available for free and which also acts as an adjunct to the patient care pathway. Loretta is a passionate advocate for menopausal women, smashing the taboo and striving to make menopause mainstream. Through the Menopause Hub Academy, she has also developed a CPD accredited programme to support organisations with menopause in the workplace awareness, education, training, and policy development and hosts the Menopause Workplace Excellence Awards in partnership with Great Place to Work and has created the Menopause Workplace Accreditation programme to recognise those who are leading the way in menopause support at work. Loretta has had a lengthy and highly successful career working for many multinational, global businesses including; Mars Inc, Diageo plc, Kerry Group plc Ardagh Group and Jacob Fruitfield, as a senior marketing and communications leader. She is a multi-award winner - Marketer of the Year, Tatler Woman of the Year 2024 (Health), Women's Health CEO of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year runner up in the Image Businesswoman Awards, and HIHI FemTech 2023 Winner. This is the 48th episode with guest Loretta Dignam, CEO of The Menopause Hub, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Founded in 2016, ZOMA's team of creative experts specialise in digital strategy, web design, branding, content creation, and performance marketing. ZOMA's journey began humbly, with its founders working from a small attic space fuelled by passion and determination. Armed with little more than laptops, whiteboards and big ideas, they sought to challenge traditional marketing norms by offering innovative digital solutions. Over the last three years, ZOMA has transformed into one of Ireland and Northern Ireland's largest and most recognisable digital marketing agencies, with a turnover of €1.2million and 12 full time staff. Currently working across a range of industries including corporate, health and wellness, fashion, food and hospitality, tourism, sport and events, construction, property, agriculture, medical and manufacturing. David Kieran is founder and managing director of Zoma.  David's belief in a “people-first” approach has been instrumental in building a company that values talent, collaboration, and customer success. Combining digital expertise with youthful enthusiasm and a desire to break the corporate mould, ZOMA have ditching the traditional suit and tie approach. A unique approach to work-life balance helps their team flex their creative muscles which results in distinctive brands and ideas. This is the 47th episode with guest David Kieran, Managing Director at ZOMA, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Sara Savidge has a deep understanding of domestic, regional and global payment systems, solutions, infrastructure, strategic partnerships and regulatory frameworks with over 25 years' experience of driving sustainable growth and building high-performance teams across a range of institutions in the payment industry including Fiserv, Transfermate, RBS, and Barclays. Sara is now the CEO of the Fexco corporate and international payment business, which provides cloud-based cross-border solutions for clients and took up this role following many years in JP Morgan Chase where she served as managing director of payments for international growth and business development, playing a critical role integrating new strategic growth agendas within the EMEA, LATAM and APAC Payments divisions. She is also proud to be part of

Echelon Data Centres is an international data centre infrastructure developer providing large-scale assets to support the growing global demand for data and computing resources – sustainably, responsibly and with due regard for the environment. It currently has six facilities in Ireland and the UK – either online or under development – with a combined potential capacity of around 800MW. Their infrastructure is responsibly designed, sustainably powered and allied to Echelon's ongoing investment in renewable and alternative power sources. Infrastructure that is built and managed sustainably and ethically, recognising their responsibilities to the people and partners they work with, the communities where they operate, the society they are a part of, and the planet we all share. Niall Molloy , CEO and founder of Echelon Data Centres. He is also Managing Director of Aldgate Developments. A qualified Chartered Accountant with a strong background in banking and finance, Niall is highly experienced in commercial property development and has a proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale, complex projects on time and within budget while driving returns for investors. As CEO, Niall is responsible for the strategic direction of Echelon Data Centres and takes an active role in all aspects of property selection, assessment, delivery and operations. This is the 45th episode with guest Niall Molloy, CEO of Echelon Data Centres, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Bronwyn Brophy has over 25 years' experience in the MedTech industry having also worked for Thermo Fisher Scientific, Medtronic, Covidien, and Johnson & Johnson in a number of senior roles around the globe covering businesses including general surgery, women's health, gastroenterology, cardiology and oncology. She is now the CEO of the Vitrolife Group, a world leading provider of medical devices and genetic services for the reproductive health industry. The company is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden and is listed on the NASDAQ Stockholm. It has over 1100 employees and a revenue of circa $360M. Vitrolife is a world-leading global provider of medical devices and genetic testing services. Dedicated to the reproductive-health market since 1994, they have grown by focusing on product development, groundbreaking research, consistent quality control and acquisitions of innovative companies in the industry. A global leader in reproductive health focused on supporting customers and patients worldwide to improve treatment outcomes – always with sustainability in mind. Based on science and advanced research capabilities, their aim is to deliver products and services for the entire reproductive-health journey, providing consistent performance and guaranteed quality. She has a strong track record in strategy development, accelerating profitable growth, leading M & A and also driving digital transformations. Bronwyn has led several large scale R & D programs, building out next generation platforms. She has worked in multiple regions globally and has experience driving geographic expansion in the U.S. and China. This is the 44th episode with guest Bronwyn Brophy, CEO of the Vitrolife Group, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Larissa Feeney started out working in hospitality, took a job as a receptionist in an accounting firm and studied for her accountancy qualifications in her spare time.  Fast forward to today and she is CEO of Kinore.com, one of Ireland's Top 20 accountancy practices, which is leading a disruption of the financial sector by establishing the country's first online, remote-first finance and business services firm. Larissa's journey from receptionist to CEO is marked by her creative vision and commitment to innovation. Driven by a desire to challenge traditional accountancy norms, Larissa founded Kinore with the vision of creating a digital first, client-focused practice. Technology has been a cornerstone of the Kinore offering, enabling the company to capitalise on the shift towards digital professional services. Advances in customer relationship management and cloud technologies have enabled Kinore to service its clients more efficiently than traditional accountancy practices. This technological advantage is a key differentiator for Kinore, allowing it to offer superior service quality and responsiveness. Larissa is a passionate advocate for female entrepreneurship. She actively supports early-stage female entrepreneurs through the ACORNS programme and is President of the Donegal Women in Business Network. And she was shortlisted for the ‘Image Businesswoman of the Year' Award in both 2017 and 2018. This is the 43rd episode with guest Larissa Feeney, CEO of Kinore.com, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

James Costello, is Managing Director of Label Tech Dublin, one of Ireland's largest independent producers of high-quality labels. With over 30 years of experience in the label printing industry, James has grown Label Tech into the thriving company it is today through his commitment to cutting-edge technology and investment in people. Label Tech has built its reputation on delivering innovative, sustainable, and reliable labelling solutions to businesses across diverse industries. As a recent addition to the Asteria Group, a leading European network specialising in labels, packaging, and print, Label Tech benefits from the strength and vision of a global leader. This partnership allows Label Tech to integrate local expertise with world-class resources, driving innovation and sustainability in the labelling and packaging industry. Under James's leadership, Label Tech continues to excel, contributing to the Asteria Group's mission of delivering value-driven, customer-focused solutions while shaping the future of the industry. This is the 42nd episode with guest James Costello, Managing Director of Label Tech Dublin, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Quinlan's Kerry Fish, based in Cahersiveen, have become famous for providing the very best Wild, Organic and Superior Smoked Salmon and fresh seafood to customers across the world. The operation was originally started by Danish company called Rainbow who were really ahead of their time with trawlers, fish meal plant, mink farm to use waste etc but went burst soon after and some local fishermen including Michael Quinlan bought the processing factory to secure an outlet for their fish. Although renamed Kerry Fish at the time, over the years it became known as Quinlan's and in 1996 Michael and his eldest son, Liam, bought out the shareholders so it was most definitely Quinlan's. At that time they were exporting a lot of Mackerel and Herring all over the world  to such places as Japan, Nigeria, Egypt and they also had their own fishing trawlers. While some of the catch made decent money in Spain and throughout Europe, some didn't and these species were also favoured by the Irish public so in 1990 the team decided to open some wet fish shops – they have 6 in total now – so they could add value in that way and they were and still are very successful. Following on from that they decided to open Fish n chip/Seafood bars – they have 6 of these as well!! - and again these are a great success with access to their own catch making the supply chain very short. While they still export quite a lot of seafood such as Prawns, Monkfish and Sole all over Europe Smoked Salmon has been the product that has stood the test of time and with several Great Taste and Blas Na hEireann awards, they take immense pride in selling and delivering it all over the Globe. They have built up a super loyal customer base and as Christmas approaches they feel so lucky to have a handsome repeat customer base. The business has now been fully passed down to the second generation of Quinlan's with brothers Liam, Ronan and Fintan, all at the helm. Given the amount of time this man spends travelling the globe, I am delighted to have sitting in front of me, Liam, Michael's eldest son. His main objective in the business is to seek opportunities to continually grow and expand the company. He also ensures that every customer is supplied with the freshest of fish and responds to their comments and suggestions, as part of the company's policy to ensure ongoing customer satisfaction. I think we are in for a mouthwatering discussion! This is the 41st episode with guest Liam Quinlan, Group MD, Quinlan's Kerry Fish, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Davy bring you something special for the 40th episode of ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. We recently staged the second in our ‘Next Step, Sell it, Scale it, IPO it!' series of events in the historical and picturesque House of Lords in Bank of Ireland, College Green, Dublin, to an audience of business owners and entrepreneurs. We had some fantastic speakers join us for an insightful conversation. Aidan was joined by Terry Clune, CEO and founder of CluneTech and Chairman of Transfermate, Andrew Reynolds, CEO and Founder of Swoop and Brendan Mooney, Former CEO of Kainos plc. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Maria Mahon has extensive business experience in leadership positions in the media, technology and service industries. Maria brings a unique blend of international entrepreneurial and leadership experience to the companies she works with at executive, board and advisory level. She has previously held the position of Marketing Director for Dublin's leading music Radio Station, 98FM working with the programming and marketing teams to restore its No.1 position in the local market and also held the position of International Brand Manager of Tourism Ireland responsible for the roll out of the All Ireland Tourism brand globally. In 2006 Maria established a consulting practice to advise and mentor CEO's on developing and implementing funding and growth strategies for their businesses. But she has ‘walked the walk' too as the group CEO of Saongroup.com, growing the business from a single online recruitment startup in Ireland to an international group of market leading sites including sites in Ireland, UK, South America, South Africa, the Caribbean and China - through both organic growth and acquisition. Her board positions have included Vice Chair of Communicorp Media from 2019 - 2021 prior to its successful sale to Bauer Media, Vice Chair of Saon until it's sale to Axel Springer in 2013, and vice chair of ChinaHR for a 2 year period before its sale. She recently finished as chair of the board and interim CEO of GoContractor - a leading SaaS business selling into the Construction and renewable energy sectors in Europe and the US, following its sale to a Safety Plus of the US. This is the 39th episode with guest Maria Mahon, Chair, Director, Business Owner in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Sandra Healy is an Engineer, an Organisational Psychologist and NLP Master Practitioner. Sandra's career spanned 20 years in the global telecoms industry and five years at Dublin City University where she established the DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity & Inclusion. In 2020, Sandra spun inclusio out of DCU. Over the past 18 years, Sandra has championed and driven diversity and inclusion practice across industry and is considered a leading expert. In 2014, she was involved in establishing the EU Diversity Charter for Ireland. In 2020 Sandra joined the Expert Advisory Group for Ireland's Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality and is currently on the Leadership Advisory Council for Ireland's Police Force. In 2023 Sandra contributed expertise to the EU (AI) Artificial Intelligence Act and ISO certifications on equality. inclusio's gamified software is proven to capture the hard-to-get people data. It provides employers with the most comprehensive and reliable people and culture data on the market. The scientific data captured through inclusio empowers leaders with the insights they need to deliver meaningful culture change and achieve true employer excellence. Through concrete insights instead of guesswork, leaders can deliver on their cultural ambitions and respond to regulatory and mandatory reporting. The platform analytics and culture frameworks ensure growing companies can attract talent, remain competitive and be globally compliant. This is the 38th episode with guest Sandra Healy, CEO and Founder of inclusio in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Niall McConnell and Nik Healy, co-founders of Convergent. They have spent the entirety of their business life working with companies to dissolve information chaos in business which is a significant barrier to business growth. For businesses to perform optimally, information must be unbound and flowing seamlessly across various systems, departments, and users. Founded in 2014, Convergent is a document and information management consultancy that challenges short-term thinking to solve information, document control, and automation problems. Convergent's unique approach to information management is to tailor solutions that meet the specific needs and requirements of businesses and process owners. Niall has spent almost 25 years working in tech and prior to Convergent Niall worked in Business Analyst, Project Management and Commercial roles in Fintech companies. He heads up the Convergent business operation and oversees the commercial, finance and marketing functions as well as supporting the Solutions and Technical Teams. Nik has previously held Management Consulting roles in Ireland and Canada. Nik leads the Solutions Team at Convergent and is widely regarded as one of Irelands leading document & information management experts. Nik also regularly speaks at Irish and international conferences. This is the 37th episode with guests Niall McConnell and Nik Healy, co-founders of Convergent in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

DMG Media is part of one of the largest media companies in the world and continue to grow their position in Ireland. It is home to some of the best-known media brands in Ireland and the expanding portfolio of websites, newspapers and magazines is crafted every day by 140 staff delivering compelling content to over 3.6m adults in Ireland every month. Over the last 22 years they have been continuously growing both organically and through acquisition and are now one of the largest media content producers in Ireland. It has developed and built some of Ireland's most popular consumer and business media brands including The Irish Daily Mail, The Irish Mail on Sunday, EVOKE, Rollercoaster.ie, Extra.ie, OneFabDay.com, MailOnLine, Geek Ireland, ExtraG.ie, and BusinessPlus.ie. They are consistently innovating to address the ever-changing digital landscape by investing in and developing content distribution, data measurement, audience targeting and commercial segmentation technologies – their motto is “Engaging Audiences Through Great Content”. With me today is Paul Henderson, who has been the CEO of DMG Media Ireland since 2008 driving consistent revenue and profit growth each year. His extensive career in Irish media began at The Irish Daily Star, where he advanced to Director of Sales. Subsequently, he was part of the TV3 (now Virgin Media) launch team as Group Sales Manager. He is a Chartered member of the Institute of Directors. He holds a BA in Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Ireland and a Graduate Diploma in Business Finance from the Irish Management Institute. This is the 36th episode with guest Paul Henderson, CEO DMG Media Ireland in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

David Walsh is one of Ireland's most renowned entrepreneurs. He co-founded Netwatch and as CEO grew it from a small start-up to a truly global organisation employing 560 staff and serving 250,000 customers across four continents, and a leader in proactive video monitoring. At Netwatch, he assembled a world class team and developed a unique culture that led to 68 quarters of continuous growth and impacted the lives of customers across the World. In 2019, he stepped down as chief executive of Netwatch having sold the majority of the company the year before to private equity firm Riverside, a deal that saw the company merge with businesses in Britain and the US to create the Netwatch Group. Rather than sitting on his laurels, he has since established another disruptive technology company called HaloCare with a vision to empower people to live independent and healthy lives at home for longer. It is a solution focused on care in the community for older people, those with long-term illnesses and those who wish to remain living independently in their own homes and need a little extra support. Through supportive technology that works seamlessly in the background, their clients have complete peace of mind when homecare or family carers cannot be there. This is the 35th episode with guest David Walsh, Chairman at Halo Care, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Conor McCarthy is an airline industry veteran with over 43 years of experience, a serial entrepreneur and has helped set up several airlines and aerospace companies worldwide. He is the founder of PlaneConsult, an aviation consultancy company, which has, over the past 19 years, worked in many airlines including easyJet, Qantas, Alaska Airlines, Copa, and Thai AirAsia. He has held roles in Aer Lingus Commuter, Ryanair (where he was responsible for the famous 25 minute turnaround, among other things), and is a Co-founder, shareholder, and former director of AirAsia and its affiliates in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, and India. In 2009 Conor established Dublin Aerospace, parent company to Dublin Aerospace and Exeter Aerospace. Dublin Aerospace is now one of the world's leading providers of Aerospace MRO services. Dublin Aerospace developed a state-of-the-art Landing Gear facility in Ashbourne, and started up Exeter Aerospace in the UK. Based primarily in Dublin, Ireland, Conor is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of Emerald Airlines, Ireland's newest regional airline, and the exclusive operator of the Aer Lingus Regional network. This is the 34th episode with guest Conor McCarthy, Executive Chairman at Emerald Airlines & Dublin Aerospace, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Kim Mackenzie Doyle is an award winning product designer and has held significant roles in both the corporate and non-profit sectors, where she honed skills in leadership, strategic planning, product development and community engagement. With a passion for bridging the gap between industry and education, she is the founder of The B!G Idea, a pioneering non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering young people to tackle local and global challenges. The B!G Idea is a multi-award winning, free, creative thinking skills programme for transition year students which aims to fill a gap in our traditional education system that focusses on rote learning -  which doesn't suit every student's brain type or learning style. Businesses and employers need creative thinkers! Creative thinking is now a more sought-after skill than Big Data or technical literacy. It is a critical skill recognised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Forbes yet it's not something we are taught in school. The B!G Idea has been instrumental in forging strong partnerships across borders, ensuring that young people across the island of Ireland receive the support and resources they need to thrive, and has garnered international recognition for its unique approach to education, focusing not just on academic success but also on real-world problem-solving and creativity. The team are dedicated to fostering a generation of socially conscious and empowered individuals, and this dedication is evident in every aspect of the programme. This is the 33rd episode with guest Kim MacKenzie-Doyle in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Alan Lewis, ex-rugby player, who when his rugby career was cut short at an early stage with injury, turned to refereeing with notable success, and has now refereed at international level, at the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups. But he is even better known as the third most capped player in the history of Irish Cricket playing 121 times for his country between 1984 and 1997. He is one of only six players to have played more than 100 times for Ireland. Away from the sports field, although he got a college grade leaving cert, he had no appetite for university but did have a genuine interest in following his father's footsteps into the insurance industry. He started with Hibernian insurance but within three years the sporting wanderlust took over and he headed off to Australia. An injury brought him home and eventually to LHW, a company co-founded by his father. He focused on the life side of the business and took over the company when father and other business partner retired, at a time when the industry was undergoing huge consolidation. Today, Alan is responsible for the strategic development of LHW.

Well summer is definitely upon us, so the timing of this chat couldn't be better. On this episode we have brothers Barry and Fergal Doyle who are co-owners of Arboretum. Barry is CEO and Fergal is chief commercial officer. Arboretum Home & Garden Heaven is a second generation, family-owned garden and lifestyle retailer. The multi award-winning business, founded in rural County Carlow in 1977 by horticulturist Rachel Doyle, is today a €14m turnover enterprise employing 200 people in three locations; the flagship store in Leighlinbridge, Carlow; Arboretum Kilquade, County Wicklow and Arboretum Urban Green. In recent weeks, Arboretum Kilquade has fully reopened following a €4.5 million redevelopment, creating 25 new jobs. Urban Green, located above Chapter's bookshop on Parnell Street in Dublin, opened in May 2023 and offers a unique garden, house plant and lifestyle retail experience for city centre dwellers. Each of the venues has a high-quality in-house restaurant. As CEO, Barry develops Arboretum's business strategies to support business growth and a key focus for him is customer service, always seeking to enhance the customer experience, both online and in the physical stores. Barry trained as a horticulturalist at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin in Dublin and has a deep love of gardening and growing. Fergal is Chief Commercial Operator and oversees all financial aspects of the business and focusses on developing commercial strategies to support the business' goals. He believes in the importance of fostering long-lasting, meaningful relationships with customers through a passionate and committed team. Sustainability is also a key focus for Fergal both operationally and in the product range Arboretum offers to customers. This is the 31st episode with guests Barry Doyle and Fergal Doyle in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

The 30th episode of ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly' is a little different to the norm! We recently staged the first in our ‘Next Step' series of events in the magnificent surroundings of the old trading floor of The Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext) Building in Dublin, to an audience of business owners and entrepreneurs. Every entrepreneur reaches a point in the evolution of their business when they are faced with the crucial decision of the ‘Next Step' on its growth pathway and how that will be funded. For some, selling the business to a larger company makes the most sense, but for others, taking on external capital to scale up the business is more appropriate – in some cases, that external financing comes in the form of taking the company public on the stock market. There is no one right answer, so with this event, we hoped to provide insights into each route from business people who have done it before. We had an excellent panel comprised of Dermot Crowley, CEO of Dalata Hotel Group plc, the largest hotel operator in Ireland and with a presence in the UK and continental Europe; Leo Mac Canna, CEO and Founder of Ocuco Ltd, a thriving multinational software company with thousands of customers worldwide, who recently had Accel-KKR invested €60m in the company to help fuel its global expansion; and Mark Little, founder and successful seller of the Storyful and Kinzen media businesses. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Jody Fanagan joined the family business in 1987 as one of three in the 5th generation to run the company – the 6th generation is now also working there. He was made a director in 1994 and then became the Managing Director in 2013.  Fanagan's is truly a family business established in 1819 and so has been providing excellence in funeral care to families in Dublin for two centuries, looking after 1 in every 4 funerals in the city. But is it not just one family business as the group now encompasses the Kirwans, Nichols and Carnegies funeral homes, which combined run 11 Funeral homes located throughout Dublin, employing almost 100 people. Their latest funeral home, located in Rathfarnham, opened in June 2018, is a 3000 sq. foot premises which incorporates a state-of-the-art operations and logistics centre. This represents a significant investment in the future success of the company. But the keen sports fan listening will also know that Jody is well known for another reason as his golfing cv is hugely impressive, boasting South and West of Ireland Championships, two appearances for the GB & Ireland team in matches against Europe, and of course a Walker Cup appearance in 1995 with three match wins including one against a certain Eldrick Woods aka Tiger! This golfing prowess has continued in later life with success in both the European and US Senior Amateur Opens, which will see him tee is up with the pros in the US Senior Open in 2024. This is the 29th episode with guest Jody Fanagan, Director at Fanagans Funeral Directors in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Paul McCann first joined Grant Thornton in 2001, and over the next 11 years amassed extensive financial advisory experience. From 2012 -2017 he served two terms as Managing Partner navigating the firm through an accelerated growth period, expanding from 417 to 1,144 people, and growing revenues from €41m to €115.7m. Paul took over as CEO of Ergo in September 2021, bringing with him a reputation in corporate finance for an exceptional grasp of business value and strategies for sustainable growth. Ergo deliver high-quality and reliable IT services that add value and efficiency to their operations. They help their clients achieve their goals and overcome their pain points with their agile and customer-centric approach, empowering clients to embrace change and seize new opportunities with cutting-edge and scalable IT services. This is the 28th episode with guest Paul McCann, CEO at Ergo, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

There cant be too many people listening to this that have never heard of the Guaranteed Irish mark. This year Guaranteed Irish celebrates 50 years supporting businesses in Ireland. Since it was first established in 1974 as a national symbol of trust and provenance for business in Ireland, Guaranteed Irish has welcomed over 2000 members. With that milestone, I am delighted to have the CEO of Guaranteed Irish, Brid O'Connell, here with me today. Brid had an unusual path to her current position as she initially studied Applied Chemistry, followed by Quality Management in UL. Not satisfied in her role as a Biochemist, she returned to college by night and studied for the next ten years in the areas of Marketing, Public Relations, Corporate Governance, and Leading and Managing Change. She worked for a time in the public sector (Limerick and Meath Local Authorities) before establishing her own business “Welcome Marketing”, a marketing and PR agency for Public sector clients. She was self-employed for over 15 years before in 2016 she appointed to the role of CEO of Guaranteed Irish Ltd and took up the reins of the organisation on 25th July of that year. This is the 27th episode with guest Brid O'Connell, CEO at Guaranteed Irish, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Niall Norton began his career training as an accountant and once qualified, followed this up with a stint in Deloitte Corporate Finance before taking up the reigns as CFO with Irish operations of O2, where he was responsible for financial control functions, business process re-design, strategy planning and wholesale. In Feb 2004 he joined Openet as CFO, a company extremely proud of its Irish heritage with a unique ethos that is harnessed to drive success and become a global player in the telecoms industry. In September 2006 he became CEO of the company and under his stewardship, it grew from a small Irish software company to a global international operation with revenues of circa $120m and employed more than 800 people. He remained in this position until August 2020 when the company was bought by US listed Amdocs, which provides software and services to the telecoms and media sectors globally. After the takeover, Niall was Division President and General Manager for Amdocs Networks. In this role, Niall had responsibility for rebooting the commercial strategy related to Amdocs portfolio of software and services for the network market domain. Niall was recognized in 2017 as one of the 100 influential people in telecoms by Global Telecoms Business. Earlier this year Niall Norton established Clever Communications, (“C-Comms”), a consulting company providing advisory services to client companies planning or undergoing scaling challenges. This is the 26th episode with guest Niall Norton, Adviser and Mentor, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

For nearly 30 years Pamex has blazed a trail in the Irish Pharmaceutical industry. Its founder Tom Murphy was a leading figure in the pharma industry in the 1980's and early 1990's before being made redundant in 1994. Still in his early 40's and with a young family he found himself on the dole at a time when unemployment in Ireland was at a record high. Using his industry knowledge and backed all the way by his wife, Mary, the couple started the business that has built up a diverse portfolio of products that have made an immeasurable difference to the health and wellbeing of countless Irish people. Its first brand, Total Shaving Solution, has been joined by names such as Carmex lip balm, Alforex biotics, Kin Dental, Thea eyecare, and many more, with the result that this company from Castlebar continues to punch above its weight. This is the 25th episode with guest Tom Murphy, Founder / Chairman Pamex Limited, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Derek Murray is one of the World's leading independent experts on golf club technology and the true art of custom fitting and club making – a passion ignited over 25 years ago, following a visit to the custom fitting tour trucks at the Czech Open. Throughout his career Derek has worked with a ‘who's who' list of professional golfers like the late, great Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Michael Campbell, Sergio Garcia, Raphael Jacquelin, and countless other PGA and European Tour pros. Closer to home, he has helped Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Shane Lowry, Gary Murphy, and Seamus Power with their equipment decisions. Further afield, he designed and developed an exclusive, brand agnostic club fitting system and in-house club-fitting program focused on delivering not only a world class customer experience for the members of one of the world's most exclusive golf clubs in Georgia, USA but also designed a best in class fitting kit to specifically suit the course and conditions of play all cross referenced with the demographic of player at the club. He is the founder of his family run business, ForeGolf, which is based at The Long Game Academy, Killeen Castle. This is the 24th episode with guest Derek Murray, Owner & Master Club Fitter at ForeGolf in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

When Harry Maharaj completed his Mechanical Engineering degree he got a ‘lucky' call – his words, not mine – from a recruiter who found my CV online and asked would he consider moving away from engineering and going for an institutional equity sales role in Davy. Eight years later, having built strong client relations in Europe and US, he quit the job, moved home to Kilkenny, and started in the family business, Kilkenny Architectural Salvage.   Founded by his father to harness a long standing passion of his in the world of salvage, the business has just celebrated its 25th birthday. The company started originally building up stock by attending auctions, dealing with other salvage yards and buying from everyday people who had items to sell. Since then it has evolved and while they still buy from those original sources, they now have an extensive network of people and businesses who they deal with. They work very closely with some of the top hotels, restaurants and bars around Ireland, and also import items from the UK, Europe and even further afield. Robin's three sons (Paul, Harry and Conor) all left their jobs in Dublin to move home to join the business in the last 5 years which has had a huge impact on the scale of the business in particular with bringing the business online through social media – they have 80k followers and have found it a great way to bring the world of salvage to the next generation. This is the 23rd episode with guest Harry Maharaj, Director at Kilkenny Architectural Salvage & Antiques, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.   This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

There can't be too many people, certainly in Dublin, who haven't heard of Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel in Killiney. And while the building itself has a very long history dating all the way back to 1740, its current incarnation began in 1970 when Paddy and Eithne Fitzpatrick fulfilled a lifetime ambition by buying Killiney Castle and its grounds. They initially opened 1 room at a time, eventually reaching 13 rooms in the original castle, before embarking on a massive expansion plan over the 1975 to 1995 period that saw the property grow by 100 rooms, a fitness centre, and conference and meeting spaces. The group then expanded to open hotels in Bunratty, New York, and Chicago before splitting into separate ownership when Paddy died. The Fitzpatrick Castle hotel has been in the ownership of Paddy and Eithne's daughter since 2005 and has been operating for over 50 years. Sitting in front of me are Mark and Joseph Scott Lennon – the current generation of operators. Mark has over 20 years of hospitality experience and took over running Fitzpatrick's Castle in 2012. He has international experience working in Vancouver and New York and is heavily involved in the Irish Hotel Federation as a current member of the national council. Joseph has 14 years hospitality experience packed with international destinations like St Vincent, the Grenadines, New York, and Dubai. He has been hotel manager at Fitzpatrick Castle for the last two years.  This is the 22nd episode with guests Mark and Joseph Scott Lennon, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Having spent 5 years as an Audit and Risk Senior with Deloitte Ireland, Mike Tonery moved to the role of CFO for the Aryzta/Wendy's joint venture, before beginning his healthcare odyssey. In 2006 he became Senior Financial Controller for the Mater Private Hospital, transforming the finance function to meet the new requirements of the board, syndicate of lending banks, insurers, private equity investors and the development of a new hospital strategy. In 2015 he moved to the Mater Private Cork as CFO before joining the Bon Secours Hospital in September of that year as CEO. The hospital employs circa 600 personnel, who, together with leading consultants work in partnership to provide the highest standard of Advanced Medicine Exceptional Care to over 30,000 patients each year.  Then in July 2022, Mike took up his current role as CEO of Trinity Care, which provides the highest standards of quality, person-centred nursing home care for residential, convalescent, respite and rehabilitative services across Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Louth, Wicklow, Kilkenny & Cavan. Mike is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and Business Management and has completed programmes in Clinic Leadership, Pensions for Finance Directors, Debt Financing Training and Negotiation Skills Training.  Mike graduated from IMI with a Masters in Leadership in 2022. This is the 21st episode with guest Mike Tonery, CEO at Trinity Care in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Much to his parents' horror Declan Doyle dropped out of Trinity after one year and went full time managing 10 quick service retail stores in Dublin city centre, going to college by night to get a business degree. Realising accountancy might be a good skill to have, he trained with Grant Sugrue as a forensic accountant, before going into the facilities maintenance industry with Noonan Services Group. Soon after he was involved in a management buyout – possibly not the best-timed transaction I think he would admit – but the company still managed to grow through the early years of the Financial Crisis with him in the role of CFO. The successful implementation of an ERP system was followed up by a large UK acquisition to bolster their position there. In 2017 it was time for their private equity partners to say goodbye, as they found a new home with Bidvest PLC a South African headquartered services, trading and distribution group. The transition from PE to PLC ownership was easy. Then in 2019 the CEO retired from the business, and Declan stepped into the role – where he remains today. The business has trebled in the last 6 years with revenues now north of €900M pa. and they now have a team of over 27,000 passionate and customer-focussed people. He may never have received his Theoretical Physics degree from Trinity, but he does have an MBA from there. This is the 20th episode with guest Declan Doyle, CEO at Bidvest Noonan, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

While food has always been focal to her life, stepping into a commercial kitchen as a teenager really ignited her passion about the industry, and Gráinne Mullins began working part time in the pastry section of some 5 Star hotels. Interrupting a science degree to move to France, she spent two years working in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Aix-en-Provence. Cooking won out over science, with Gráinne following her heart. The self-taught chef was the winner of the prestigious 2019 Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year. Channelling the skills, artistry and joy she has learned from some of the country's most talented chefs, Gráinne founded Grá Chocolates in her hometown of Kilchreest in 2020. Grá Chocolates specialises in hand-painted chocolates and hot chocolate blends. Created in small batches, each Grá chocolate takes three days to create. The moulds are hand polished to ensure a glossy, luxurious sheen before adding the colourful hand-painted decoration. Each filling is perfected to a signature recipe, ensuring decadently delicious flavour. Ingredients may change with the seasons, drawing on Ireland's rich larder, but the high quality and great taste remains constant. Recently she announced that the company are set to bring a taste of Ireland to the US as the brand made its American debut in early December, just in time for the festive season - the launch Stateside marks a significant milestone in the company's journey. This is the 19th episode with guest Gráinne Mullins, CEO and Founder of Grá Chocolates in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

The idea of an entrepreneur giving up ‘a good job' in order to pursue their own venture is hardly an isolated one, but few entrepreneurs would believe their journey could take 20 years, seeing off a dot-com crash, two terrorist attacks on either side of the Atlantic, and a global financial crisis – any one of which probably brought down many SME's. But that is exactly what today's guest did. In 1999, Michael Dwyer sketched out the basis for his new venture on the front of an Irish Independent newspaper on a flight back from London, that would see him quit a marketing director role with Northern Foods to develop a hub on the internet to bring brands and consumers together in a way that works for both, using offers as a key attraction. And with that Pigsback.com was born. What followed were thousands of squeezy pink pig stress relievers, multiple ups and downs that saw the business skirt perilously close to oblivion, and further fund raises, harsh cost cutting plans, illogical price from competitors – which proved to be their undoing - before finally selling the business in April 2019 to Secret Escapes for €25m.    This is the 18th episode with guest Michael Dwyer, Entrepreneur and Founder of Pigsback.com in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Bobby began his career building video games for Nintendo. After that, he founded Eland (an airline tech company) which he sold to SITA before going on to build CarTrawler over 15 years, and led two successful LBOs for the business. For the last 4 years, he's been building ‘Manna Drone Delivery' - a business whose mission is to improve the world by making lightning-fast suburban deliveries affordable, green and safe. He is also a founder of Meili Travel technology with a mission to end the fiasco of car hire brokering. Aside from business, Bobby has a keen interest in philanthropy and is an active member of the board of Debra Ireland as well as running several fund-raising events for other charities. This is the 17th episode with guest Bobby Healy, Founder of Manna Drone Delivery in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

About Leona Maguire Leona entered the professional game in 2018 off the back of a record-breaking collegiate career with Duke University. The proud Irishwoman has been a serial winner ever since she took up the sport in Co. Cavan but it was her decision to move to America, inspired by her life-long ambition to play on the LPGA Tour, that catapulted Leona into the big leagues. As an amateur, she was nothing short of sensational. A three-time Curtis Cup player with GB&I, Leona is a two-time Olympian representing Ireland in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2017 she captured the Ladies British Amateur Championship title, becoming serial winner on the collegiate circuit. Maguire sat atop of the world amateur golf ranking for an incredible 135 weeks during her amateur career. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take this born winner long to claim her maiden ‘W' on the professional scene with Leona getting over the line, not once, but twice in her first full season at the Symetra Tour's 2019 Windsor Golf Classic and the Symetra Classic. That blistering form meant she comfortably qualified for LPGA Tour promotion for 2020. Leona became the first Irish woman to represent the winning Team Europe in the 2021 Solheim Cup. Leona was a crucial player becoming the greatest Solheim Cup rookie when she went unbeaten. In February 2022 Leona followed this feat up by winning her debut title on the LPGA at the Drive On Championship and in doing so became the first Irish Women to win on the LPGA in history. Not stopping there, Leona recorded her second LPGA victory in June 2023 winning the Meijer LPGA Classic shooting a final day 64 to win by two strokes. In September 2023 Leona continued her memorable season as she proved to be a crucial part of Team Europe as they successfully retained the Solheim Cup in Spain with Leona delivering 3 points to the European side. About Mark McDonnell Mark has worked in the sports industry for over 20 years initially starting out working in the football world before moving across into the golf industry when he was 24 years old.  Mark has since worked for two of the leading brands in golf, Srixon and TaylorMade adidas Golf. The latter in which he was employed as one of the youngest account managers in their history, winning account manager of the year in only his second year with the brand.  Mark has a vast amount of experience in working with high profile clients, lifestyle management and works with many large corporate companies on a daily basis heading up both the Modest Golf and Modest Sport's Marketing business.  Mark also founded the Horan and Rose biannual charity event which to date has raised over £4 million for charities across the world and oversaw the ISPS World Invitational, the only event in the northern hemisphere to offer equal pay to both the male and female participants. This is the 16th episode with guests Leona Maguire, LPGA Professional golfer and Mark McDonnell, Co-founder of Modest! Golf Management, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

Having qualified as a chartered engineer, Greg held jobs in the UK and Ireland with various engineering companies before returning to the role of managing director of RPS's Engineering business in Ireland. During his 3-year tenure as MD, he guided the business from €16m to €24m turnover and helped grow the staff numbers to 300 people. Then in 2005 he went out on his own, setting up Ethos Engineering and becoming its CEO. Ethos is Ireland's largest Mechanical Electrical consultancy and one of Europe's leading experts in Data Centre design, Sustainability, Urbanism, Global Tech, and Digital Services (Smart Buildings). With an HQ in Dublin, a regional office in Galway, worksites in 17 countries across Europe and Africa, and over 160 staff, Ethos with its "Engineering Wow" philosophy has an absolute commitment to treat each project as completely bespoke with no pre-ordained solution.  They drive technology innovation, embracing new, improved ways of working to deliver the best results and go beyond to the next level of delivering the most sustainable energy-efficient buildings that fully focus on the end-user experience. This is the 15th episode with guest Grey Hayden, CEO of Ethos Engineering in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

This week's guest: Rosy Temple Magee 1866 is a fifth-generation Irish family business with over 150 years' experience in designing, weaving and tailoring luxurious fabrics and clothing in Donegal.  It was founded on handwoven tweed when John Magee first established a small drapers shop in Donegal, Ireland. In 1900, Robert Temple – John Magee's cousin and apprentice – bought the business and today the third and fourth generations of the Temple family are still at the helm. Their weaving mill in Donegal Town, on the banks of the River Eske, is still the beating heart of everything they do at Magee, proud to support a tradition of weaving and manufacturing textiles in the northwest of Ireland, bringing a contemporary edge to an age-old craft.  They are always looking for ways to envelop their heritage in new and exciting ways through contemporary design, so today Magee 1866's lifestyle collections include men/women/home interiors and accessories. This generation is about a sustainable future as they continue to focus on their heritage of long-lasting quality and weaving natural fibres like wool and linen, which are biodegradable and renewable. Rosy Temple began her career with commercial roles first at international auction house, Christie's, and then at Rebel Kitchen, developing UK & Irish sales for the startup organic food brand, before returning to the family business in 2018, taking the responsibility for sales development and in early 2020 was appointed as CEO. This is the 14th episode with guest Rosy Temple, CEO of Magee Clothing at Magee 1866 in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

This week's guest: David McKernan David McKernan joined Bewley's straight out of school in 1987 as a sales rep. Through a combination of hard work and an equally hard neck, he worked his way up to the role of Sales and Marketing manager. In 1997, David convinced Bewley's to make a radical experiment in espresso-based beverages - launching the Caffè La Scala brand. In early 1998, David started to research coffee roasting techniques – to try and further improve the quality, experience and flavour he had achieved with Caffè La Scala. In September 1998 he left Cambell Bewley Group to work full-time on this ambition. One hard and impoverished year later, Java Republic Roasting Company sold their first case of hand roasted coffee. The first five years saw huge growth in volume and distribution, and by 2005 Java Republic entered the retail market with a selection of coffees. The foodservice business also saw new product development in speciality teas and premium hot chocolate. To accommodate this growth, and to realise a vision first sketched in 1998, David then commissioned designs for a bespoke facility with a fourfold increase in capacity. It opened in 2008.  In 2019, he sold a majority stake in the company to Spanish coffee company Cafento, but remains in a non-executive role and brand ambassador. Since then, he has set up BiaVest - Ireland's only dedicated food investment vehicle, which is committed to investing in high quality food brands. This is the 13th episode with guest David McKernan, Founder of Java Republic in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

This week's guest: Aongus Hegarty While I can't describe him as unique, I can definitely say that Aongus Hegarty is an uncommon species – not because his last twenty four years was spent in the technology sector but because that tenure was with a single company and covered periods where the company was publicly quoted, then taken off the stock market in a private equity funded transaction, then did the biggest acquisition in its history, before returning to the public markets, all the while being lead by the same well known man, who gave his name to the company. From 1999 to 2023, Aongus held several executive roles at Dell Technologies. His most recent was President for International Markets, an organisation spanning over 170 countries, supported by over 50,000 team members who helped customers of all sizes on their digital transformation journey . Aongus Hegarty is a seasoned board member, strategic advisor, and thought leader, with four decades of global business experience. He has been Chair of the Executive Council for the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union - leading the strategy to ensure a growth-oriented business and investment climate in Europe for US companies. He is a member of the Special Olympics Ireland Council of Patrons, Chair of the Munster Rugby Commercial Advisory Group, and a member of the 30% Club Ireland Advisory Group. This is the 12th episode with guest Aongus Hegarty, independent Director and Adviser in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.

This is the 11th episode with guest Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland in the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. About Aisling Hurley Aisling Hurley has over 35 years of experience in the non-profit sector, having started out at the University of Limerick, assisting with the creation of the University of Limerick Foundation, and moving on then to become a Consultant with CCS Ireland Limited, a fundraising consultancy, where she worked on a variety of projects for the Arts, Cultural, Overseas and Education sectors. Aisling joined the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2005 as their Director of Development. During her tenure, Aisling raised over €20 million as part of the College Development Campaign. In 2012, following discussions with RCSI and the need for a separate legal entity to be established,  Aisling, together with Prof Arnie Hill, leading breast surgeon, established Breast Cancer Ireland, securing its  charitable status (CHY 19926), developing its board and codes of practice. Since 2020 in line with the Charities Institute Ireland, Breast Cancer Ireland has successfully secured the Triple lock award for excellence in governance, compliance & accounting.  With over 9000 registered charities in Ireland, BCI is just one of 72 awarded this acumen annually. Since its inception in 2012, BCI has raised over €25 M from the public both from individual and corporate support. Aisling has been awarded many industry accolades as she continues to lead the development and expansion of Breast Cancer Ireland.

This is the 10th episode with guest Mick O'Keeffe from Teneo in the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. About Mick O'Keeffe Mick O'Keeffe is Chief Executive of the Irish arm of the global CEO advisory firm, Teneo. He is the former Managing Director of Pembroke Communications and CEO of PSG, which he founded in 2014 following the merger of Slattery Communications and Pembroke Communications. Mick leads the Teneo Consultancy, and he is responsible for company strategy and development as well as global integration. He oversees the growth of the corporate, strategy and sponsorship business divisions in Teneo. He is deeply involved in reputation management, CEO advisory, issues management and media training for senior C-Suite clients, politicians, and sports stars. Mick also has a proven track record in developing successful commercial strategies for sporting and non-sporting organisations. He has also negotiated some of the biggest sponsorship deals in Ireland in recent years. But more important than all of that, Mick has represented the Republic of Ireland in football at underage and universities level and Dublin in GAA at all levels including senior

This is the 9th episode with guest Jacqueline O'Donovan OBE, Managing Director at O'Donovan Waste Disposal Limited in the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. About Jacqueline O'Donovan Jacqueline O'Donovan is unique being the CEO of UK based O'Donovan Waste, the only female in such a role in London and one of only three in the entire UK. The business was started by her father, Joe, and it grew to a phenomenal size before his untimely death at the age of 51. For her part Jacqueline left school at 16 and intended to become a child minder, before she was thrust into the role as MD of O'Donovan Waste at the age of 19 – with no formal training, this was a big step up.  O'Donovan Waste now offers a wide range of services including skip hire, roll on/off bins, waste transfer stations, tipper and grab lorry services, recycled aggregates, road sweepers, wheelie bins and demolition services. It's renowned for its efforts to clean up the industry and bring it into the 21st century. The company now has 150 staff, 85 vehicles, and six different depots, and she's won just about every recognition and award in the industry. Although in recent years the business was sold to Sortera, a Swedish firm seeking to become one of Europe's leading recyclers of construction waste, she remains at the coalface, running the company. Jacqueline also does a lot of work supporting the Irish community in London, and besides being an OBE, she was also given the Freedom of the city of London, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad from President Higgins, and a host of other accolades.

This is the 8th episode with guest Brian Thornes, Founder & CEO X-Bolt Trauma & Inventor of Tightrope in the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. About Brian Thornes Coming from a medical family, his father was an oncologist and immunologist, Brian studied medicine in Trinity before interning in the Meath and Adelaide Hospitals. After a year in Brisbane, he returned to Ireland to commence his orthopaedic training, working in many of the hospitals around the country. An interest in ankle anatomy/injuries, the result of a water skiing accident, ultimately led him to inventing Tightrope in 2000, which he ultimately licenced to Arthex in 2003, with the first surgery performed in 2004.  In 2005, he quit the orthopaedic scheme to try his luck in business. (2-3 years short of becoming a consultant). Then in 2007, came his light bulb moment for the second product – X-Bolt for the treatment of hip fractures – and in 2018 he got FDA approval for the first generation of the product. Since then, further developments have been made with the introduction of a full portfolio in titanium based products for other anatomical areas in 2021.

The is the 7th episode and part 2 with Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington from Intro Matchmaking and Cilter Technologies. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. Rena Maycock is the founder / CEO of Cilter, a technology startup developing child protection software for smartphones that detects/blocks cyberbullying, grooming and suicide/self-harm in user-generated content on messaging apps and browsers.   She started her career in advertising sales and went on to hold a variety of senior management and director roles in Sky Media, Sunshine and was latterly CEO of the iRadio group. She was appointed to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare and Chairs the board of the Irish International Business Network.  If that wasn't enough she also writes a column for The Currency…. But I wont hold that against her!! In 2011 she co-founded Ireland's largest traditional matchmaking company, Intro, with Feargal Harrington. Feargal is the lead principal of that business now and also involved in Cilter. He is a regular media contributor on all things dating-related. Recently he founded Kombeara, a hard-Kombucha drinks company which will be the first of it's kind this side of the Atlantic selling organic, vegan, low-calorie and gluten free alcoholic kombucha to meet the demand for better-for-you alcoholic beverages which has already taken the US by storm Feargal began his career as an Estate Agent with property firm Lisney, before joining Sherry Fitzgerald in 2007.

The is the 6th episode with Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington from Intro Matchmaking and Cilter Technologies. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. Rena Maycock is the founder / CEO of Cilter, a technology startup developing child protection software for smartphones that detects/blocks cyberbullying, grooming and suicide/self-harm in user-generated content on messaging apps and browsers.   She started her career in advertising sales and went on to hold a variety of senior management and director roles in Sky Media, Sunshine and was latterly CEO of the iRadio group. She was appointed to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare and Chairs the board of the Irish International Business Network.  If that wasn't enough she also writes a column for The Currency…. But I wont hold that against her!! In 2011 she co-founded Ireland's largest traditional matchmaking company, Intro, with Feargal Harrington. Feargal is the lead principal of that business now and also involved in Cilter. He is a regular media contributor on all things dating-related. Recently he founded Kombeara, a hard-Kombucha drinks company which will be the first of it's kind this side of the Atlantic selling organic, vegan, low-calorie and gluten free alcoholic kombucha to meet the demand for better-for-you alcoholic beverages which has already taken the US by storm Feargal began his career as an Estate Agent with property firm Lisney, before joining Sherry Fitzgerald in 2007.

The is the 5th episode with Aine Kilkenny from Riley. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. I often tell people that the share tips they get in a bar late in the evening tend never to be the best investment ideas. So, whether starting a business from an idea created over a few drinks falls into this category as well, my guest Aine Kilkenny will probably tell me. Because while the world was still in the grips of COVID, along with friends Fiona Parfrey, Lauren Duggan, Áine put a girls' wine night idea into action and now have a business that has seen them all quit their day jobs, move home to Ireland, and be nominated for an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award all in two years. Riley is a company that aims to make superior, eco-friendly period and feminine care products more convenient and accessible to everybody, using a novel subscription-based model. Their products contain no bleach, no pesticides, no toxins, no harmful chemicals and the company has sustainability as one of their core values, with a plan to end the use of plastics in period care products. The company is also proud to be part of the fight against period poverty on the ground in Ireland but also further a field in Kenya.

This is the 4th episode with guest Niall Sabongi from Sustainable Seafood Ireland. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. Sustainable Seafood Ireland was first set up in 2013 by owner Niall Sabongi. As a chef/restaurant owner, Niall initially wanted to supply his growing restaurant business but more importantly have a better understanding of where his seafood came from and if it was truly sustainable. Allied to that, he also wanted top quality, variety of species, access to fish and shellfish that often only gets exported. So having the opportunity to build direct links to the fishers and boats was big driving force in setting up the business. In late 2014 SSI was approached by a number of other restaurants and likeminded chefs in the business seeking the same quality and variety. They get their seafood from a close network of purveyors and fishermen, using world-class standards to help ensure transparency at every step, from the waters the fish are harvested in, the catch method, down to the boat and skippers, letting them enjoy it with confidence and share this first-hand knowledge with their customers.

This is the 3rd episode with guest Ciaran Finane from Finline Furniture of the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. About Ciaran Finane One of the big questions for many family businesses is that transfer from the first generation who started the business to the next generation. Finline Furniture was originally set up by husband-and-wife team Kieran and Brigid Finane in 1979. Recognising the lack of high quality Irish handcrafted sofas and chairs, their vision to fill this gap was the basis on which the business was created and operates today. Over the next decade, Finline continued to expand and began exporting into the UK and Middle East markets. In 2009, eldest son Ciaran joined the business. As a wholesale-only business, they began to explore new opportunities when the economic downturn of the late 2000's took hold. Rethinking the business model led them down new avenues and in 2012 the first showroom in the factory in Emo, Co. Laois was opened. More retail operations have followed. In 2013 younger brother Kilian joined the family business. Kilian working alongside brother Ciaran brought another new dimension to the business.

This is part 2 with guest Gary McGann from Flutter Entertainment of the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'. This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe. About Gary McGann After studying, Gary McGann got a job with the Controller and Auditor General's office and spent seven years in the civil service before joining mobile technology company Ericsson in 1978. He spent nearly 11 years there, eventually becoming the company's chief financial officer. He then took up a role with drinks company, Gilbey's, in 1988 and became its CEO in 1991. In 1994, the Irish Government appointed him as Group Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, a position he held until 1998. The job was to overhaul the company and he succeeded in keeping it afloat with several restructuring measures. Then in 1998, he joined Jefferson Smurfit as chief financial officer and eventually became its CEO in 2002, leading a successful merger with Dutch company Kappa to create a truly global business of Smurfit Kappa that we know today. He finished there in 2015. He has also held several chairman positions in his career in companies such as the Dublin Airport Authority, Aryzta, Sicon (Sisk), AON Ireland, and most recently, Flutter Entertainment. He board seats with UDG, and Green REIT. He is a former President of IBEC, and in the "not for profit sector" Gary is a director of Barnardos and The Ireland Funds.

This is the first episode of the new Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly' with guest, Gary McGann from Flutter Entertainment.  This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. A new episode of the series will be released biweekly with the first one on Thursday, 25th May. If you like what you hear, please like, share and subscribe.   About Gary McGann After studying, Gary McGann got a job with the Controller and Auditor General's office and spent seven years in the civil service before joining mobile technology company Ericsson in 1978. He spent nearly 11 years there, eventually becoming the company's chief financial officer. He then took up a role with drinks company, Gilbey's, in 1988 and became its CEO in 1991. In 1994, the Irish Government appointed him as Group Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, a position he held until 1998. The job was to overhaul the company and he succeeded in keeping it afloat with several restructuring measures. Then in 1998, he joined Jefferson Smurfit as chief financial officer and eventually became its CEO in 2002, leading a successful merger with Dutch company Kappa to create a truly global business of Smurfit Kappa that we know today. He finished there in 2015. He has also held several chairman positions in his career in companies such as the Dublin Airport Authority, Aryzta, Sicon (Sisk), AON Ireland, and most recently, Flutter Entertainment. He board seats with UDG, and Green REIT. He is a former President of IBEC, and in the "not for profit sector" Gary is a director of Barnardos and The Ireland Funds.